This Loneliness That Binds Us
by ShallowGlass
Summary: One-shot between Keigo and Tatsuki as the Winter War approaches.  They may be a bit OOC, I tried my best.  Just the two being together and helping each other through the loneliness I guess.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Nor do I own any of the characters. Or the plot. Do not sue.**

**Info: Basically I wanted to write a story between Keigo and Tatsuki, not so much romance, but really just the bond the two share when all the crazy Aizen stuff begins. First story, be nice x3**

How had it turned out like this? How had this come about? Tatsuki's thoughts wondered aimlessly as she led Keigo to her room. She was feeling something, deep in the pit of her stomach, not nervousness, not regret, but something was building inside her, something painful. The girl sat on her bed and patted it, inviting the boy to join her. God, why did it have to be this way? Immediately hands wound through her dark, spiky hair, caressing her scalp and his eyes met hers. Tatsuki knew she didn't love this boy, she knew that, she wasn't even sure if Keigo could be considered a friend. The two had little in common; he was a skirt chaser, an unsuccessful one, but a skirt chaser nonetheless. He had absolutely no martial art talent to speak of and if that wasn't enough, he was so unappealing, or rather, not charming, that women turned away. She knew all this and still they were in this position.

She watched as his lips got closer to hers, before making gentle contact. Her curtains were closed, dark sunlight filtering through onto them. It gave the room a dusky look, not alluring in any way, it simply held enough appeal to her, seeing as it was her apartment. Tatsuki's thoughts continued to travel as Keigo proceeded with the gentle kiss.

If there was one thing they had in common, it was who they cherished. Ichigo. The one thing that bound their group together, their common bond. Ichigo was the glue to their group, the person that kept everybody together, not sane but together. He kept them happy, he made people feel comfortable, _safe. _What a ridiculous thought. Tatsuki, needing to feel protected? Conceited as it sounded, it was true. She was a multiple Women's National Martial Arts champion. Then again, it wasn't as if she _needed_ to feel protected, she just accepted the way being around him made her feel secure, as if nothing could harm their bond.

How wrong had she been? She felt Keigo's tongue ask for entrance as it grazed her lips. Neither of the two had much experience with the opposite sex, this was uncomfortable for her, but she wasn't going to make him stop. It wasn't as if he was a stranger, she had grown up with him, hell, she had punched him and kicked him a few times. One time she actually destroyed his desk. However, those thoughts, those thoughts of comradeship seemed so…_distant._ It hadn't been but a few months since that incident, but it seemed like years, the memories were hazy.

His tongue permeated her mouth and searched, timidly, adjusting to the uncomfortable feel of tongue on tongue. It was slippery, the two were inexperienced in any sort of intimate act, so adjusting was difficult. Tatsuki didn't particularly enjoy it, she would much rather have preferred sparring, or training new Judo club members, or even more so, talking with Ichigo and Orihime. Chizuru and the others had been good company, but that was all they were, was company. Chizuru continued with her usual antics of flirting with the other girls in a rather vulgar way, and even though Tatsuki felt she needed to help, her resolve was slipping. Why was she helping them? It wasn't as if they were in any danger, nothing they can't get out of for themselves. They weren't so innocent as to not see through her advances as a certain orange hair big breasted girl she knew.

God, how long had it been since she'd seen Chizuru try her luck on Orihime? How many weeks? Months? These thoughts swirled before Tatsuki was temporarily interrupted as she felt Keigo guide her down onto the mattress. He gently grabbed her shoulders, and let her fall. She looked up at him, his brown hair falling to either side of his face, he was rather flushed and his eyes held a look similar to concern. Why was this happening? It wasn't as if this had happened over night. She had let it develop over the course of the last few months. She let Keigo fill a void that had opened and vice versa.

"Are you sure? I mean…" His voice trailed off as he stared at her, he was honest in his question, God this boy was too honest. So innocent, it was obvious the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

"Yeah." The only reply she could mutter. That and she didn't want her voice to give away her thoughts. She was strong, stronger than all except Ichigo. Oh and Chad, Chad wasn't even human if she had any say so. But she was more than strong physically, she was strong emotionally, she held her ground and rarely did she shed tears. But now, now her thoughts were a jumbled mess and the last thing she wanted was the boy now attached to her lips again, to see through her façade. Keigo may have been innocent, clumsy, and perverted, but he was insightful, he could see through somebody if they gave him the opportunity and she wasn't going to allow him that.

She felt his hands grasp at her shirt, in a vain attempt to alleviate her body of it. She sighed, and helped, allowing the fabric to disappear. Blood started toward her cheeks as she watched his eyes scan her body. Tatsuki had nothing to be embarrassed for, she was in shape, had a flat stomach, long legs, and a conservative to moderate bust. He didn't meet her lips again, instead lifting her legs to pull off her skirt. Tatsuki waited for her conscience to yell at her. To tell her this was horribly wrong, to tell her to end it now. But it didn't, maybe her hormones were egging her on, pushing her. Maybe her void felt good closed. Whatever the reason, her conscience did not tell her to end it.

Hands reached under for her bra strap, searching for the clasps. She watched as his eyes aided his hands. The boy was working her clasps like it was a Grade A lock. The thought evoked a giggle from the girl and he looked down at her, obviously embarrassed at his own incompetence. She sat up, putting her face next to his and reached behind her back. She put her hands on his own fumbling fingers, guiding him, teaching him the proper way to undo a bra. She let the white cotton fall off her, revealing her chest to his sight. Her cheeks flushed again as he stared intently at her breasts. It was embarrassing, having someone stare as if they had found mountains of gold.

Finally, he made eye contact with her again and smiled. He then looked toward her lower half, as if pondering whether or not he should proceed. Keigo was trying his best, his best to please this girl. After what seemed like an eternity, his thumbs hooked under the cotton panties as he slid them down her legs. God this was awful. Tatsuki felt as if her body was beet red.

"God, you're beautiful." He whispered these words, maybe to himself, maybe to her, but he had once again met her lips. Again. Tongue wrestling, or rather, more like tongue falling onto another tongue. They had no technique, simply two teenagers seeking something the other could offer. She cringed inwardly as his hand began to fondle her right breast. It wasn't anything she'd ever felt before and rather wanted to pull away from his touch. It was unnerving, her sensitive skin being handled by something far rougher. His other hand met the other breast, both thumbs rubbing her nipples. Tatsuki had read manga, nothing crazy dirty, but a few sexually implying manga. She wasn't about to say she expected to moan in pleasure at his touch, but she expected something that felt less…_foreign. _It wasn't all that pleasurable, just hands clumsily trying to massage her, evoke a moan out of her.

Keigo left her mouth, instead bringing it to her breast. His mouth enveloped her peak, gently sucking, not unlike an infant. At this, her back arched. Why? Why had her body done that? Was it the warmth of his mouth? He looked at her, a little shocked, perhaps pleased that he make her elicit a response. The brown haired boy continued with these ministrations, attempting to earn a mewl from her, some sort of noise, but failed. The most she did was squirm, perhaps adjusting to his touch.

Tatsuki was beginning to adjust. Adjust to being naked in front of a boy. A boy she didn't love. Adjust to having her body intimately touched. The feel wasn't so uncomfortable, he wasn't rushing, he appeared to be taking things slow for her sake. How considerate. However, she outwardly gasped as his hands met her core. Why? Why did that feel so different than everywhere else? Why did her legs kick and her muscles tighten? Obviously her body was far more honest than she was. She felt herself relaxing, once again adjusting to the foreign feeling before he got up. She watched him undress, watched as he pulled his pants down, his shirt came off. He wasn't in as bad of shape as she thought, his stomach was stamped with a powerful core, his legs strong. Tatsuki's eyes caught his arousal and she turned her head, once again blushing furiously. Keigo didn't catch her stare and made his way on top of her.

"I'm sorry Tatsuki." She quickly turned her head his direction, staring into his eyes at his apology.

Why was he apologizing, what did he have to apologize for? The boy placed his hands on either side of her, stabilizing himself. Tatsuki spread her legs, subconsciously, she wasn't aware what her body had done on its own. Again, a fear made its way into her mind. She expected pain, not sure how much, but she expected pain. The raven haired girl felt Keigo position himself, pushing in slowly. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Not scream out pain, but she winced, winced at his entrance. She winced at what she felt resonate between them when he started moving. Loneliness, a horrible, empty feeling the two shared. Tatsuki felt this feeling when Ichigo beat her in a sparring match and never showed up again. When her name changed from Tatsuki-chan to simply Tatsuki. This same feeling when her and Orihime had gone to the festival and she noticed that the girl had done something to her hair. Orihime simply brushed it off, but Tatsuki knew better.

_"Orihime, you changed the way you divide your hair." __A simple enough statement._

_"Hm? Yeah, I just want to change my mood." A simple enough answer. "Come on Tatsuki, what's with your expression?"_

_"Orihime…you should not…walk off too far…" A response that held the weight of the world._

Her world was changing, so fast. Orihime, the girl she vowed to protect since junior high was maturing, changing, without her. Then there was Kuchiki-san. A small girl, yet very mature. A paradox really, she seemed innocent, kind, but her and Ichigo had something that she hadn't seen before. They had a bond that had developed quickly, but was deeper rooted than any she had seen before. The small woman held something over her orange haired friend that kept the two unbelievably close. Even on the anniversary of his mother's had death, when he hadn't gone to school, she hadn't either. A deep bond had formed, one that maybe could never break.

Tatsuki was drawn out of her world by the his boy, panting, sighing, her name occasionaly escaping his lips. He had felt an unbelievable amount of loneliness too. Ichigo was his best friend, next to Mizuiro. But the womanizing boy was becoming colder. Ichigo had been the one to open Mizuiro up, Tatsuki knew that. With Ichigo gone, Mizuiro was shutting down again, always on his phone, talking to Keigo as if he was a stranger. Keigo had a cheerful exterior but she could feel it when their bodies met. She could feel his intense sadness. Ichigo disappeared from school, Orihime as well, Kuchiki-san, Chad, Ishida, all these people rarely returned.

She reminisced, not like she hadn't done quite a bit already, but still, she reminisced about the day Don Kanonji had come to Karakura town. He was a star and even though she never joined in the "Bohahaha!" thing, she enjoyed watching his show. That was, until that night, when he was supposed to be exterminating a spirit, but instead it sounded as if he was torturing it. A horrible, horrible wail rose into the sky, but only her and Orihime could hear it. The crowd seemed oblivious, cheering the outrageously dressed star on. God it was awful, horrible and next thing she knew, Kuchiki-san and Ichigo were jumping in, talking to each other, saying something, but she couldn't pick up on it.

"Tatsuki…Tatsuki…" Keigo panted her name again and again, almost chanting it in rhythm to his thrusts. She now realized she was beginning to feel pleasure, that he was beginning to make her feel good. She heard her voice, she heard herself gasping, mewling, with each thrust at this point. His voice was escalating and common sense told her he was close. She inwardly grinned, as he fell on her, his body warm and recovering from fulfillment. Tatsuki was on birth control, as recommended by her mother. Physical activities screwed up the menstruation cycle of a female, and she was no exception. Thus, birth control helped regulate it again and with that in mind, she made no move to keep him from releasing inside. Keigo rolled over, embracing her small figure next to his, keeping her close to his chest. She knew she didn't love this boy, she knew they didn't have a lot in common, but what they did share was very precious to both of them. Neither of them were any good at sex, maybe they'd get better, she'd reach fulfillment one day, but for now, she was content letting him hold her as he dozed off.

"Thanks...Tatsuki." He whispered into her ear as he fell into a light slumber.

"Welcome, Keigo." She realized that was the first time she had said anything more than a syllable the entire time. She felt herself tire, her eyes closing, the dusky look in her room disappearing from view.


End file.
